Response to COVID-19: CDC Activities and Initiatives

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report summarizing relevant initiatives, activities, and tools in support of the Whole-of-Government response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). CDC continues to prioritize monitoring the spread and intensity of the pandemic, followed by conducting research to understand the severity and spectrum of the disease. Additionally, CDC underscores the importance of tracking healthcare capacity and essential supplies through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

In response to monitoring and tracking challenges, CDC implemented “multiple, complementary surveillance systems” while continuing to explore “emerging and experimental surveillance platforms with a critical eye toward proven utility.” Furthermore, CDC disseminated extensive guidance on contact tracing and infection control among state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments. In order to enhance the effectiveness of contact tracing efforts, CDC is considering various technological methods of voluntary notification of contacts of confirmed cases.

To add to these efforts, CDC developed a series of tools aimed to mitigate impacts of the outbreak among vulnerable populations while providing critical insights for prevention of future outbreaks. Similarly, CDC provided interim guidance on laboratory test usage for asymptomatic populations and for serologic surveillance. Overall, these initiatives provide necessary assessment metric for community COVID-19 mitigation strategies when considering re-opening procedures.